Breaking down stereotypes: Quebecer girls create a name for themselves

Breaking down stereotypes: Quebecer girls create a name for themselves

Here are a few ladies that destroy conventional standards and that will make you want to do the same!

Many action sports are marked by a certain male influence. “ Oh yeah? So What! “ This is what many girls have been telling themselves. It is not something that is worth getting intimidated by, it is simply a matter of creating your own space! And what better way than to invite other girls to join right along with you! It is proven that girls are more prone to take chances in sports if they see other girls already doing it. Unfortunately, the mediatic coverage of women in sports is not a source of motivation since it does not shine enough light on their presence and on their performances.

To all the girls out there that are not scared, that redefine the expression “ like a girl ” and that do it loud and proud !

The ” Vagabonnes”

Three years ago, Frédérique Luyet found that female skateboarding in Quebec had little visibility. Following this idea, she decided to create Les Vagabonnes: an inclusive group that invites girls to give one another a hand and to grow together.
“When I started to ride, the Les Skirtboarders already existed. We grew together. This allowed me to find my true route: it was like a family, a crew of friends “ explained Frédérique.

With Les Vagabonnes, there was no “boss”, no judgement, no obligations, simply great big fun ! They are around thirty girls ranging in between the ages of 5 and 45 years old. Many of them even present themselves on the international scene, alongside their montrealer companions. They have attracted the attention of the media and have managed to make the free skate sessions for girls more popular on Wednesday nights at Taz . The Facebook group now counts more than 300 members and continues to innovate and encourage the new wave of female skaters. You can see them in action in a skatepark near you or see them every Wednesday night at Taz!

Wednesday nights at Taz! Photo: Paige Krämer Rochefort

Longboard 4Us

The mission at Longboard 4us is a simple one : to democratize the practice of longboarding along with making it more accessible to all. The members of this group offer longboarding classes for beginners and intermediate skaters that wish to share their love and passion for the sport. Shortly after coming home from a trip to Australia, the founder, Catherine D’avril, decided to perpetuate the vibe that she immensely fell in love with in the australian culture. Often portrayed as being a “guy “ sport, longboarding can seem intimidating. This being said, Catherine sees it as being as much a fun activity as a transportation device. A pleasant change from your typical bike riding, no? ALl you have to do is dare !

The young ladies will also be able to get involved in the action this summer: Longboard 4Us will offer classes for girls between the ages of 12 and 17. But that is not all! For the summer 2017, Longboard 4Us is preparing for you and event in collaboration with YOGACAMP that will withhold an initiation to longboarding with a mini session of Yoga-longboarding. Oh yes! YOGA-LONGBOARDING! They are also collaborating with Les Chèvres de Montagnes for an event taking place in Quebec in July.

The “Chèvres de Montagne”

Adventurers and outdoor lovers also have their own community. You’ll find the Chèvres de Montagne, you guessed it, making their way across mountain tops. However they aren’t only limited to mountain peaks, you’ll also find them climbing rock faces, conquering biking trails and tearing up the backcountry on skis. These women, ranging from age 18 to 38, are not afraid of getting dirty. Literally. The group’s founder, Maryse Paquette, knew the importance of an active lifestyle from her background in kinesiology. She wanted to create a community which would give women the space to practice outdoor sports, or in many cases, the opportunity to try them for the first time. Paquette hopes to create a fun, learning atmosphere, which doesn’t rely on competition. Why girls only? Maryse believes that an all female dynamic allows girls to feel more confident, which she hopes will allow them to push their limits and progress. I agree! This setting allows us to own our ‘girly’ moments without pressure, because yes, we may change our outfit 3 times before leaving the house, and we might quickly fix our hair before the inevitable group photo. Trust me, been there, done that.Since its start in 2014, the Chèvres de Montagne has offered girls ski & split board touring trips, introduction workshops to fly fishing, biking trips, training clubs and more. Their famous “Sorties du Mois”, invites girls to come together to share their own passion or learn a new sport. You can join the herd by following them on Facebook or on their website, HERE !

Ice Ice baby! Photo credit: Juste Être Dehors.

Shred Queens

Haven take shape at the Concordia University, Shred Queen’s main mission is to motivate girls in general to get up, go out and develop a lifestyle that is more healthy and active. Overly passionate about alpine skiing, snowboarding and outdoor activity, the girls have decided to combine passion and education to join forces and to launch a project together. They organize events in an optical based on collectivity in order to incite girls to move and have fun. No need to have experience in anything in particular ! Their goal is to create a community that offers girls a platform where they can develop new bonds and where they can feel well surrounded. To join the Shred Queens is : to climb Mont Royal by running to capture the sunset, it is a skate session between girls in the bowl of the TRH Bar. It is also to gather fifteen or so riders for a rail jam, contagious laughs and much more !

These girls see far in front of them. The fury of the Shred Queens is only beginning ! Stay in the loop for future challenges to take part in this summer because they have more than one trick up their sleeve.

Salty Souls

Girls work hard In the southern hemisphere too ! Salty Souls offers to all the possibility of spending some time on the side of the ocean in Salvador with a group of motivated girls that are confident in their own skin. The experience is based on well-being, health, physical activity and the sharing of enthusiasm. Surf, yoga, hiking on a volcano and healthy cooking is on the menu ! The quebecer females challenge the other girls to get out of their comfort zones and to take a big bite out of the apple of life with all their teeth.
You can visit their website pour plus de détails. for more details.

Le Blitz

Contact football: it is not simply a sport dedicated to men ! Girls play also , and it is far from delicate ! The Montreal Blitz is the only contact female football team in Quebec. Founded in 2001, the team has the objective of encouraging and supporting the participation of women in the sport. The team also implicates itself in its local community and works hard to ensure the healthy growth and development of its athletes. The Blitz plays games outside of the province and also in the United-States. It has already won 4 championships of the IWFL , 1 canadian championship and many of the members of the team have played for Team Canada in the world championships.

We honour the girls out there that dare, that go beyond boundaries all that support themselves ! We should all follow in this healthy and active lifestyle and we just can’t help but applaud all of those out there, as much the men than the women, who encourage us to follow in their footsteps !